Emily and the Olympians
by Nakira.Taisho
Summary: Emily Jackson, the kid with a short temper that likes to make plumbing explode.  What happens when she finds out that she's part of a community that she only knew from stories?  ON HIATUS/BEING REWRITTEN
1. Info

**Emily and the Olympians… 0- Info**

Being a Demigod…it's not fun at all. And when you're not even supposed to be alive, that's even less fun! My brother Percy and I are in a puddle here. Simply because of whom our dad is.

Hm…I guess I should explain a bit about us.

I'm Emily Jackson. Everyone calls me Mil though. My twin brother, Percy, and I are…well, Demigods—half-bloods if you want to be less politically correct. Anyways. We've been in and out of different schools our whole lives. All eleven or so years. We went to one school for kindergarten, got expelled for fighting, moved to another school for first grade, got expelled for being the center of an explosion of the plumbing in the bathrooms, moved again for second grade, got kicked out for driving a teacher insane…you get the picture.

This year, for sixth grade, we're at a school called Yancey Academy. It's a school for mentally ill children. Pathetic as it is…along with our history of changing schools…we're both dyslexic, ADHD, and have extreme violent tendencies. I'm a bit worse than Percy though. On the violent part anyways. I can read Latin based languages easily and also most Greek stuff. But English stuff…I can't read at all. And I'm pretty good about at least acting like I'm paying attention in class. But Yancey was the only place that would accept us this year.

How do I look? Well, I've got long blackish brown hair, blue-green eyes, and I'm a bit tall for my age. My brother looks almost just like me in the face. But that's where our similarities end. He doesn't like to wear stuff besides t-shirts and jeans, while I like to wear more…eccentric—I think that's the right word—outfits. You know, like corset outfits and fingerless gloves and all that stuff.

My favorite color, though it doesn't matter much, is blue. And all of my favorite foods are blue too.


	2. Percy Vaporizes the Math Teacher

**Emily and the Olympians… 1- Percy Vaporizes the Math Teacher…and I Explode a Toilet**

Field trips and my brother and I really don't mix well. Bad stuff almost always happens on trips! Like when we went to an old battlefield and Percy accidentally shot the bus with a cannon and I touched a part of the ground wrong and a geyser came up and sprayed the entire class. Or the trip to the aquarium when Percy stepped on the walkway wrong and our entire class took a swim, and when I somehow managed to actually break an exhibit just by touching the glass. Stuff like that, you know?

But this trip should be okay…I hope. Our Latin teacher, Mr. Brunner, is in charge of this trip! And it's all about Ancient Greek and Rome. My only good subject. And the least likely to be useful in my future. But at the same time…our annoying math teacher is coming as well.

So…here I sit on the bus. With my only friend—my roommate actually—Trish, in front of my brother and his friend Grover. Trish is dyslexic, like me, but she's not as bad. She can read perfectly if the book or writing is upside down. And she's disabled. She's paralyzed from the waist down. It took two guys to get her on the bus without the school having to get a massively handicap friendly bus. As it is, there's only one spot for a wheelchair, and Trish insisted that Mr. Brunner take that spot. Probably because he's actually her dad…but that's probably not the only reason.

Anyways, so we're sitting here and I can hear the sound of food hitting Grover on the head. I look back and notice that Percy is getting angry. I glare at Nancy Bobofit, the one throwing food at Grover, and she smirks. I turn back around and sigh.

"What's wrong?"

"The one who acts about as bad as Ares on a good day." Trish laughs at my reference to the Greek god.

"Ah. So who is Athena in this instance?" I smile at our little joke.

"Not Athena. Our Satyr friend." Trish nods once. We refer to Grover as a Satyr, because he walks sort of like a goat might if it were to walk on its hind legs. And both of us are very…obsessed, with Greek mythology.

The tour of the museum is going well so far…well, as well as it can go with everyone talking constantly. I stay about a full yard ahead of the group at all times with Trish. We listen closely to Mr. Brunner as he explains different things about the different artifacts. We get to a _Stele_ for a girl about our age.

"Wow…" I read the inscriptions along the sides and bottom of the _Stele_ and look up when I hear Percy yell at the others on the trip to shut up. I sigh and straighten up from my crouch.

"Can we go to the bathroom?" I look at Trish, and then at Mr. Brunner. He nods and looks back at the others. Trish grabs my hand and tugs me slightly. We go to the bathroom and I open the door to the handicap stall for Trish.

"Do you need help?" She shakes her head and goes in.

"I can manage." I nod and close the door for her. I walk to the sink and lean on it. "Are you okay?"

"A bit aggravated. They're all so rude! You know? It's like they don't care at all about anything beyond themselves."

"I completely understand the feeling. Now calm down. I can hear the pipes shuddering." I smile slightly at the mild, but true, joke. Whenever I get angry around plumbing or water, things explode and get wet. Since the pipes almost exploded in our room the first time, Trish has given me heck about the reaction of water to my emotions.

"Yea…I hear it too." After a few minutes of silence, Trish's chair clatters and she pushes the door open on her way out.

"Let's go on outside. Mr. Brunner has probably let everyone go to lunch already." I nod and we leave the bathroom as Trish rubs hand sanitizer into her hands. I hear a screech and look towards the exhibit.

"Did you hear that?" Trish nods.

"Yea. But we need to let my dad know we're done in the bathroom." I nod slightly and we head for the exit. An old woman blocks our way to the ramp and I sigh.

"We need to get outside please, Ma'am."

"Where is it…?" The woman turns towards me and I catch a glimpse of her face under her little straw hat. She's hideous.

"What…?"

"Mil…run!" Trish turns her chair around and makes way past. I hurry after her and look back at the old woman just as she turns into a batty old hag—literally, not like the expression, but she seriously looks like a bat-woman! Well, like a Fury, but that's beside the point! Trish and I make our way to the bathroom and I hear scraping on the floor as the woman follows us.

Inside the bathroom, Trish digs in her purse.

"What are you looking for? I doubt you have something that can destroy a Fur—"

"Don't call them that! And I'm looking for something important. It should help…ah! Found it!" She pulls a bracelet out of her purse and holds it out to me. "Take it! She's about to come through the door!" I take the bracelet from her, unsure about _how_ a bracelet can help in this situation. But either way. The Fury bursts through the door and glares at me. I hurry to pull Trish and her chair to the handicap stall and stand in front of the door.

"Where is it?" The bracelet in my hand gets bigger as I grip it and I almost drop it when it turns into a gold trident with silver writing on it—the writing is Ancient Greek, by the way, and very important.

"What the heck?" I swat the Fury away from me when she attacks and she slams into the wall of sinks and mirrors with a loud CRASH, and CRACK. She recovers quickly and comes at me again.

"Where is it?"

"Where is what? Leave me alone!" I hear a pipe explode and one of the stall doors flies at the Fury, followed by a stream of water. The toilet exploded…great.

"Use the Trident!" Without thinking about it, I throw the Trident, like a javelin, at the Fury and it hits her right in the heart, dissolving her instantly in a shower of gray dust. I walk over, shocked, and pick up the trident. It turns back into a bracelet just as a woman hurries into the bathroom.

"What are you girls doing in here? What is all this damage?" She's a guard…oh great. Trish comes out of the stall, rummaging in her purse for her hand sanitizer.

"Sorry. I really had to use the restroom. The restroom was like this when we came in just now." The guard woman seems to believe Trish and we exit the bathroom. We start for the door and I hear another screech.

"You don't think that's another…?"

"Most likely. Oh! Percy!" Trish changes the speed setting on her chair and zooms down the hall to the Greek exhibit. I run after her, gripping the bracelet she gave me. We get to the exhibit and I spot Percy, holding a bronze sword. Another Fury comes at him and I recognize the face as our algebra teacher, Mrs. Dodds. He swings the blade and cuts her in half, making her dissolve into dust the same way that the trident destroyed the other Fury.

Trish relaxes slightly and I run over to my brother.

"Percy, are you okay?"

"Mil?" He looks at me and then at Trish.

"Hey Percy. I thought I heard you in here. Mr. Brunner will be pretty upset if you don't get back outside soon. Come on!" I stare at her for a minute and then follow her outside, with Percy trailing behind.

"Chiron…Father. Two Kindly Ones came after them at the museum. The only reason they survived was because of their father's…" Trish? I stop on my way down the hall to my room from the staff fridge, for a midnight snack, and look into the slightly open door of Mr. Brunner's office. Hooves? I hear hooves in there. Two shadows shuffle in the room and I recognize one silhouette as Mr. Brunner. But it looks like he's sitting on the back of a horse!

"Altricia. We can't be sure that the pact really was broken."

"Then explain why the plumbing always starts to act up when Emily is angry! Or why both Riptide and Minerva reacted to them! I saw it in his hands, Father!" Riptide and Minerva? I finger the bracelet from the museum and hurry to my room.

I sit on my bed once I get into my room and take off the bracelet. I examine the cord. Gold thread laced with silver. I squeeze the bracelet in my hand and it expands into a trident again. Minerva is the Roman name used for the goddess Athena. And Riptide is the name of a sword used by almost every major hero born of Poseidon. 'Their father's'? What did she mean? And why did she call her dad 'Chiron'? What would this trident, named after Athena, have something to do with my father?

I open my book of mythology and open it to a story about Poseidon. I skim it slowly, the letters starting to swim off the page and around my head almost immediately. I look at the inscription on Minerva and the characters make sense. So they must be Greek. Of the ancient variety.

_In memory of our friendship, and rivalry. Forever and eternal for my uncle. –Athena._ Athena? Poseidon's rival and niece…wow. I can't really process this…I spot something on the central spoke of the trident and examine it. Another inscription in Greek.

_Claimed by the Sea. Ruled by mortality. A gift for any hero of mine brave as Athena._ Another reference to Athena. You'd think that Poseidon and Athena had a thing for each other, rather than an age old rivalry.

"Reading the inscriptions?" I jump at Trish's voice. "What do they say? I've never seen them myself. Just heard that Minerva was inscribed."

"What were you and your dad talking about?"

"Chiron…I mean, Mr. Brunner…he wanted to talk to me about…" I sigh.

"Trish…Altricia. I heard you talking to him. What pact was broken? And what does plumbing have to do with anything?" She sighs and looks around nervously.

"Father won't be happy about this…but still. I'm not human. And neither are you." I raise an eyebrow.

"Then what are you?"

"I'm a centaur. And you…you're a demigod." I laugh at that.


	3. I Get to Meet my Dad and Go to Camp

**Emily and the Olympians… 2- I Get to Meet my Dad and Go to Camp**

"Impossible! I think I'd know it if I was a demigod."

"Whether you know it or not, the creatures that challenge heroes know that you and Percy are more than human. And that—" She points at the trident in my hands. "—is proof of that. No mortal would be able to release Minerva, much less use her to kill a Kindly One."

"Why are you calling those…?"

"Because names have power, Emily! What do you think would happen if we, not being human, threw names out like that! The humans spout them off because they don't believe in them. But whether you believe in them or not, calling their names will bring them straight to you!" Trish takes a deep breath and puts her hands on her bed, like she's about to get into bed. She never goes to bed before me. "Let's get to bed. Finals are coming up." Oh right…it's almost the end of the school year now.

"I thought you'd be going home with Mr. Brunner." Trish shrugs and pulls her duffle bag off of her bed. We're packing up to head to the bus station to head to the city so that Percy and I can get home for the summer and worry about what school we'll be going to next year. Both of us aren't getting invited back next year—mainly because Percy started getting into more fights after the museum incident (that no one but me, Percy, and Trish seemed to know anything about) and the fact that I accidentally exploded the fountain and soaked all of the bullies in the class when they decided to pick on Trish about her chair.

"He has to stay at the school for a few extra days before he can go home. So he's having me ride with you guys and Grover. Come on!" I grab my bag of things and open the door for Trish. We leave our room and I fidget with my bracelet.

"This was my dad's, right?"

"If he was your dad, yea. No one will know for sure who your dad is unless he directly claims you. And since he's not supposed to have kids…you and Percy would be in a lot of danger if he actually did claim you."

"Oh? So being a regular one is less dangerous than being _his_?" Trish actually nods.

"Hey. After you see your mom, do you want to come to the camp my dad helps run? It's for kids like you and Percy. You'd probably like it. And it's almost completely monster free." I laugh slightly.

"I'll ask my mom. And see if Percy wants to come as well." We get to the elevator and I push the button for Trish. When it opens, we get on and head down to the ground floor. We get outside and I look up at the sky. It's extremely overcast. "Is he mad or something? The weather's been acting up since just before Christmas." Trish looks up at the sky too.

"Yea. I don't know why though. Father won't tell me about what happened. Have you noticed when they show the news that the oceans have been acting weird too?" I nod.

"Yea." We head to a car and I put our bags in the back. "How do you make it look like you're human?" Trish smiles slightly and glances around. We're alone out here. The teacher who's driving us must be inside getting anyone else going to the bus station.

"Well…I'm half human, literally. So for some reason, I can actually change back and forth between my real legs and human legs. But my human legs don't work. Hence, the chair." I nod slowly and help her out of her chair and into the back seat of the car.

On the bus, I doze for most of the trip. And I don't have very pleasant dreams either.

I'm on this beach, specifically Montauk, and the water is really rough. Like a hurricane is about to come through. I spot a figure sitting at the edge of the water and I notice that it's a person, glowing slightly in the gloom—as though they weren't human. Maybe…

I run to the person and they look up. I know that smile. Warm memories of a smile that must have been my dad's.

'_Dad?'_ He nods once and stands up. Before I can stop myself, a question bursts out of my mouth. _'Why didn't you ever let us know who you were?'_ He sighs and touches my hair.

'_I couldn't. Trust me, if I'd told your mother who I was, or even revealed myself before, you and Perceus would both be dead.'_ I frown.

'_Then why show yourself to me now? Why not tell Percy too?'_ He looks at the sky, stormy and sparking. When he looks at me again, he reaches for my wrist and touches the gold and silver bracelet. I remember the inscription on the prong of Minerva and then the one on the handle. I back up and pull the bracelet off. I squeeze the bracelet in my hand and when it turns into Minerva, I start to hand it to my father. _'This is yours.'_

'_No. It's yours now. Think of it as me claiming you as my daughter.'_ Thunder rumbles and lightning hits the beach a few feet away from us. I cringe into Poseidon and he laughs slightly. _'You're afraid of lightning?'_ I glare at him.

'_When he's obviously mad at you for something? Yea. Unlike you, I _ca n_ die.'_

'_Don't worry. He won't hurt you, or Percy for that matter, himself. He'd send creatures after you two to do that for him. Which is partly why I want you to take Minerva.'_ He backs away from me a bit and takes Minerva out of my hand. Immediately, it turns back into a bracelet and he puts it around my wrist. Then he takes both of my hands in his. _'Go to Half-Blood Hill. If you and Percy are out in the open more, you two will have a lot more trouble. And I won't be able to help.'_

'_Dad…'_ He smiles at me and kisses my hands. He starts back to the water and I start to follow him. _'Wait!'_ Thunder rumbles again and Poseidon goes into the water.

"Hey! Wake up. We're at the stop." I jerk awake and look around.

"Are we there?" Trish shakes her head.

"No. We've stopped. The driver is checking the engine for something. Do you want to stretch your legs?" I stand up and look around the bus. No one is on. "I'll be fine until everyone gets back on. I won't get to stretch my legs until I get back home." I nod slowly and start off the bus. I spot Percy and Grover and head over to them.  
"Hey Sleepyhead." I laugh at Grover's comment and then follow Percy's gaze to a fruit stand across the street. I frown. Three old ladies are knitting a pair of giant socks. Yarn…old ladies…they're probably the Fates? It starts to rain and I glare at the sky thinking, _whatever your issue with my dad is, Zeus, you need to get over it._ Unfortunately, I doubt that it would be that easy to stop whatever is going on between them.

The bus driver gets the bus started and everyone starts to get back on the bus. The old ladies across the street are finishing their socks now. The one in the middle, holding the yarn, pulls out a pair of giant gold scissors as we get on and I can hear the SNIP of the scissors cutting the yarn all the way in my seat. I sit down with Trish and take a deep breath.

"Something wrong?"

"Do…_di immortales_ show up at fruit stands?" Trish stares at me.

"What happened?"

"Three old ladies were knitting socks and when we got on the bus, the one in the middle cut the yarn with giant gold scissors." She looks around nervously and I hear her almost make a sort of sound like a horse neighing nervously.

"That's not good…but I don't think we should worry about it right now." I nod and lean back in my seat as the bus starts to move again. "But to be on the safe side…let me go with you to your apartment." I nod.

"Sure. Trish…what exactly does your dad do at the camp?"

"He's the activities director. And he teaches archery. I'm actually supposed to be a guardian. And Chi…Father told me that I was to watch you, once we found you and Percy, that is." I nod slowly and look out the window.

"I'm going to talk to Mom about going to camp with you. We don't have to tell her what the camp is really…"

"Just say that my dad invited you to spend the summer with us." I nod.

"Okay."

"Great…Gabe's home." I stop at the end of the hall, smelling fresh beer and smoke coming from our apartment. I help Trish out of the elevator and sigh. "Sorry about Smelly Gabe." She shrugs and starts down the hall. I laugh slightly and we go to the apartment. I unlock the door and go in, waving stinky cigar smoke as I go in.

"Well if it isn't the brain girl?" I roll my eyes and start for my room—also known as Gabe's fall study and mine and Percy's summer room.

"This way, Trish. Sorry about the poker mess."

"You got any cash?" I open the door of my room and let Trish in.

"Go drown or something." I go in the room and slam it shut. I lean on the door and toss my duffle bag on the bed. "My mom should be home pretty soon. But Percy will be here before that."

"I can't believe he ditched Grover at the station. He's lucky that Poseidon hasn't claimed either of you." I walk to my bed and sit.

"That's not true…he claims me. Or at least I think he does…"

"What?" So I tell her about the dream I had on the bus. I hear Percy come into the house and Gabe yelling at him as I finish the story. Percy comes into the room and I sigh.

"Hey Percy."

"Hey…oh. Trish." She smiles at him and tosses me her bag.

"My bag was bugging me." I laugh and set the bag aside on the bed.

"I'm gonna go ahead and get packed."

"For what?" Percy eyes me suspiciously and I smile.

"Trish and Mr. Brunner have invited me over for the summer."

"You're leaving me alone with Smelly Gabe?" I sigh.

"I doubt that you'll be here all summer."

"Percy? Mil?" Mom! She comes into the room and hugs Percy and then me. She looks at Trish. "Hello…?"

"I'm Trish Brunner. I was Mil's roommate at Yancey." Mom nods slowly and then I notice the bag of candy in her hand.

"Do you like blue licorice, Trish?" Mom pulls a few ropes of blue colored licorice out and hands it to me. I take a bite out of a rope and rip a small piece off for Trish to try.

"It tastes like blueberries." She nods slowly and bites into it.

"This is good. Oh! Mrs. Jackson. My dad wanted to know if it was okay for Mil to spend the summer with us. I wanted to know about that as well."

"Who is your dad? You know what? Can I talk to you a second?"

"My dad is activities director at the camp." Mom seems to understand that because she frowns and starts to shake her head.

"Mil? Do you want to go?" I nod.

"Yea."

"Then pack up and go. But you'll miss a trip to Montauk." I smile and hug Mom before grabbing Trish's bag and tossing it to her. I pick up my bag and head for the door. Trish and I head out of the apartment.

"Where you going, Brain Girl?" I glare at Gabe.

"Away from you, Stinky." I open the door for Trish and we make our way to the elevator. When we get outside the building, I spot a white SUV.

"That's our ride." I nod and start for the SUV. "Hello, Argus. Have you picked up Grover already?" A man comes around the SUV and takes Trish's bag. I notice an eye on the back of each of his hands and then that he has several extra eyes on his face and neck as well. Argus from the stories.

"Yes. He's already home." He holds out an eyed hand for my bag and I hand it to him. He takes it and closes the back of the SUV. He goes to open the back door and helps Trish get in. I climb in as Argus puts the chair in the back. After a few moments, Argus gets in and starts the engine.

Argus parks the SUV beside a giant farm house and lets us out. The moment she gets out of the vehicle, Trish transforms into a centaur about the size of a young foal with a twelve year old girl's torso for a head.

"Come on. You have to meet Mr. D." Trish leads me around the side of the house and to the back porch. A fat little man and Mr. Brunner are sitting at a table playing cards with invisible players. "Mr. D, Chiron."

"Emily Jackson! You made it here in one piece." I smile at Mr. Brunner.

"Mr. Br…ah, Chiron." The fat guy, Mr. D, looks sort of like I'd imagine Dionysus, the god of wine and fruit to look, but he's drinking a diet coke.

"Well, get it over with. Who are you? And do you know who your immortal parent is?" I clear my throat nervously.

"Um…I'm Emily Jackson." I fidget with my bracelet. _It's yours now. Think of it as me claiming you as my daughter._ "And I'm the daughter of Poseidon." Mr. D laughs.

"Ha! Poseidon doesn't have children with mortals!" I frown and glance at Trish. She nods once and I pull the bracelet off. I squeeze it and it changes form. I grip Minerva in both hands and glare at Mr. D.

"Do you think that I'd be able to carry this without being his daughter? A hero bearing his blood." Mr. D swallows slightly and I loosen my grip on Minerva.

"Fine then. Altricia, why don't you go make sure a bunk in cabin three is prepared. I suppose this game is over." Chiron lays his cards down and literally gets out of his chair. The chair must be a magic container for his body.

"I'll give you a quick tour." I nod and when Chiron starts walking down the hill into the campgrounds, I follow him, willing Minerva back into bracelet form and slipping it around my wrist. He explains about the different parts of the camp and stuff before we get to the dorms. A u-shaped grouping of random buildings with roman numerals over the doors.

Dorms one and two are at the base of the U, and obviously empty. Odd numbers are on the left, and even on the right. Chiron excuses himself and I look at all of the different cabins. Dorm eleven looks like a gym packed with people and beds. A guy about sixteen or eighteen comes out and nods to Chiron.

"Regular, or undetermined?" I glance at Chiron and he nods.

"Regular."

"Which cabin?"

"I have things to take care of. I'm sure you'll be fine, Mil." With that, Chiron trots away from the dorms.

"Um, I'm in three." The guy looks shocked.

"That's impossible. No one stays in three." I frown and try to figure out which dorm would be three. "Oh! I'm Luke, by the way. Son of Hermes."

"Emily. Daughter of Poseidon." Dorm one is the biggest and grandest of them all, with a big bronze door that looks almost holographic in the sunlight. Two is a smaller, more feminine version of one. Dorm five is bright red and pretty bloody looking.

"Yea right. Poseidon doesn't have half-blood kids." I glare at Luke.

"Obviously, he does." I pull my bag up onto my shoulder and head along the U of dorms to number three. I touch the gray stone walls and smile slightly at the smell of salt water coming from the open doorway. I walk to the door and look inside. Six beds, made with silk sheets, apparently never slept in. I go inside and pick a bed.


	4. Cabin Five Gets Wet Twice

**Emily and the Olympians… 3- Dorm Five Gets Wet…Twice**

"No one is supposed to be in this dorm." I look up from unpacking my duffle bag and stare at the big girl in the doorway. She's hideous, but I can tell that she's strong. She's wearing a bright red shirt that has 'CAMP HALF-BLOOD' scrawled across her chest. "What dorm are you supposed to be in?" I frown.

"This is the dorm I'm supposed to be in. Both Chiron and Mr. D assigned me here." I touch my bracelet and start to take it off, but get the feeling that I shouldn't use it against a fellow camper. I go back to unpacking.

"Get out of here." I put the shirt I was getting out of my duffle on the bed and walk towards the door.

"I don't have to." The girl grabs my wrist and pulls me outside.

"I want to show you something. A sort of initiation we have for new campers!" A group of girls around her laugh and she pulls me to what has to be a bathroom. Really? That's the oldest trick in the book.

"You must be Ares' daughter." She snorts out a laugh and drags me into the stinky building. When she pushes me towards a toilet, I clench my free hand and the pipes start shuddering.

I smile slightly and duck away from her when she lets go of my wrist to grab my head. "Well, here's news for you." The entire room fills with the sound of water bubbling. "I'm Poseidon's daughter." The water from the toilets streams out at the girl and her friends, soaking them all to the bone with stinking sewage. A circle of dry space forms around me and I walk out of the bathroom.

"You're gonna pay!" I laugh slightly and head back to the dorms.

"Hey! You must be the new girl!" I look over at the girl that yelled. Straight brown hair frames her face and bright hazel eyes shine. "I'm Sybil. Daughter of Apollo. You are?"

"Mil. Um, daughter of Poseidon." She raises an eyebrow.

"Big Three huh? Wow. You here for good, or just the summer?" I shrug.

"Probably just the summer. But I'm not sure yet. You?"

"Summers. My mom and my two brothers live in California. And I see my dad a lot." I smile at her.

"Lucky. I just barely met my dad the other day."

"You unpacked yet? I've got to get to training. Sorry." Sybil runs off towards the fighting pit and I start back on my way to the dorms.

"Emily Jackson…I'm Ms. In. I'll be teaching you Greek." A tall woman is standing at the edge of the pavilion where everyone eats.

"Good morning, Ms. In." Almost every other camper nods to her or greets her outside respectfully on their way to various training sessions.

"Come with me." I follow the woman, Ms. In, with her long greenish blond hair and thin face. We head for the beach and a wooden platform that's raised halfway over the beach and the ocean. She has the platform set up with a single table and three chairs. Two on one side, and one on the side facing the ocean.

I walk to the edge of the platform that's over the ocean and inhale the scent of salt water. "You enjoy the smell of the water?" I nod.

"It reminds me of Montauk. My mom takes me and my brother there as often as she can. It's where she met my dad." I look at Ms. In, and she smiles slightly.

"I'm not surprised. Come. Have a seat."

"Ms. In…what's your actual name? Out of curiosity."

"Oh. Themis Ichnaia. I teach law to those interested or gifted in it here. And I must be going." Ms. In leaves the beach and I walk to the edge of the platform to look at the ocean. I sit down and hug my knees to my chest.

"Dad…if you're listening, if you tell me what's going on up there, I'll try to help." I get up and head back to the main part of the camp. I spot Trish and she waves at me. I wave back and she trots over.

"Hey! How's your first day?"

"Great. Ms. In just finished teaching me some Ancient Greek."

"Well, let's see how you survive archery!"

I hear thunder crack outside the camp and look up when I hear a roar above that. I look away from the fire where I was dropping part of my food thinking, _'__Dad, please let Percy be safe.'_ Unlike yesterday, or when I had breakfast, I can feel him.

'_He's outside, and might need help.'_ I glance towards the ocean and then the sky. I run out of the pavilion, dropping my plate on a table on the way. I run to the pine tree and catch my breath as I watch a scene at the base. That can't be the Minotaur…can it? A giant man with the torso of a bull. Yea, definitely that one. It's bucking around with something on its back. Percy!

I look around and spot a figure on the ground. A satyr. Who's the satyr? Without thinking, I run down the hill and to the satyr on the ground.

I look at the satyr. I recognize him immediately, groaning for food. "Grover." I look at the Minotaur when it roars in pain. One horn is missing, and Percy is no longer on its back. I look around franticly for him and spot him on the grass by a tree. The Minotaur charges towards him and he moves into a kneeling position, holding something the size of a knife in his hand. Lightning flashes and I recognize the missing horn in his hands.

The Minotaur screams and I notice that Percy stabbed it. The Minotaur disintegrates and I drop Grover to run and help Percy. I help him up and head back to Grover. I haul him up as well and help both of them to the farmhouse. "Mr. D! Chiron?" Chiron trots around the house with a blond girl I recognize from Athena's dorm.

"He must be the one. He has to be!"

"Silence, Annabeth. He's still conscious. Bring him inside." Annabeth nods once, dejected, and helps Percy inside. I look at Chiron and glance at Grover.

"Where am I taking goat boy here?"

"To twelve." I nod and head to the dorms, dragging Grover. I go to dorm twelve with him and a satyr opens the door. He gasps in shock and takes Grover inside. I head to my own dorm and collapse on my bed.

Two days later, I head back up to the farmhouse after Greek and nod once to Dionysus playing Pinochle at his little table. I go around to the front side of the porch and smile at Grover and Percy, who is now awake.

"Morning sleepy head." Annabeth comes around and nods curtly to me. I sigh and start to leave. "I've got Archery, otherwise I'd stick around. Altricia will get pissed if I don't show without explaining." I wave and head to the archery range.

"How's Percy?"

"Awake. But I think Chiron's putting Annabeth on tour duty." Trish laughs and hands me a bow.

I start to the ocean cove alone and hear pipes shuddering under the girl's restroom. I run into the bathroom and spot Clarisse and her gang gathered around, trying to shove Percy's head in the toilet. Annabeth is in a corner, watching in terror. The toilets explode and I laugh out loud. Twice in one week. I walk out of the bathroom, laughing at dorm five, and head to the cove.

When I get to the cove, I sit on the platform and stare out at the clear blue water. I almost expect Poseidon to come walking out of the water and talk to me. Like in my dream the other day. I hear the conch shell blow in the distance and get up.

"Well. Dinner time." I get off the platform and head to the meal pavilion. I get there at the same time as everyone else and smile at Percy as I head to my table. I sit down at table three and absently wipe the table with my hand before doodling invisible images with my finger. The firelight makes the gold and silver of my bracelet almost glow. The nymphs and naiads bring out barbeque and fruit and I immediately start to look for the best part of the food on the plate. Dionysus makes some announcements, including a very negative introduction to Percy. I roll my eyes at that and dig in.

Once I'm finished eating, I get up from the table and carry my plate to the fire. I dump the best portions of my food into the fire and look towards the ocean thinking, _'T__hanks for keeping me and Percy safe, Dad.'_ I put my plate on the table with the other empty plates and head to the dorms. I turn at the last second and head to the arena.

"Hey, Seaweed Breath." Annabeth emerges into the arena and I sigh.

"Hello, Wise Girl." She twirls a dull bronze sword in her hand and I smile slightly. "What do you want?"

"I was gonna ask if you'd be willing to train with me a bit." I pull my bracelet off and squeeze it to bring out Minerva.

"You're on." I step into the field of the arena and grip Minerva in both hands. Annabeth approaches me and swings her sword. I block her with the trident head of Minerva and the two weapons spark slightly. I can feel a humming in my hands and I realize that the spark is from power through Minerva. I will the power to recede and the humming stops. Annabeth strikes again and I knock her back with the end of Minerva. I know that she's strategizing. That's all she ever does, besides imagine building designs or train.

Our weapons clash again and I duck away from her second strike.

"For the game on Friday. I want to make an alliance with Poseidon." I smile.

"Is that what this is about?"

"Well, you'd ask us anyways. Unless you _want_ to ally with Ares." I grimace at that and duck her sword again.

"What's in it for you?" She dodges to the side as I go to strike her.

"A strong ally. It's the best strategy to win on Friday." I laugh slightly and catch her at the point of Minerva. "Wow." I back up and loosen my grip on Minerva. "And you're wicked fast with that thing. Did you get it from your dad?" I nod.

"And he got it from your mom. See you." I put my bracelet on and head to the dorms.


	5. Capture the Flag and a Strange Dream

**Emily and the Olympians… 4- Capture the Flag and a Strange Dream**

At the dorm, I spot Percy going into eleven and stop by.

"Percy!" He comes over to the door and looks around.

"Where's your bunk? And why were you sitting alone at dinner?" I sigh.

"I'm not in eleven. I'm in three. I'm the only one in there right now. Hey, where was Mom? I would have thought that she drove you and Grover here." Suddenly, Percy looks sad and he hesitates to answer.  
"She…she's…in the fight, she was killed." A wrecking ball hits me in the chest and I try to stay composed. I start to say something, but stop myself.

"I'll see you in the morning." I head to my dorm and sit on my bed numbly. I breathe deeply, trying to calm myself with the scent of the salt water that fills the building. I eventually lie down and manage to fall asleep.

Capture the Flag Day…since Monday, it's been about the same as the weekend was. Training, lessons, and other things. I don't really have any strong points but in Greek, fighting, and canoeing. All of those are pretty obvious, because of my dad. I spend more time at the cove, but not today. I spend the afternoon before the game starts strategizing with Annabeth. We agree to form an alliance with Hermes and Apollo. I suggested those two, mainly because of their size, but also because of the fact that I'm friends—sort of—with a lot of the girls from Apollo's dorm, and Percy is in Hermes'.

Both Annabeth and I bribe the two dorms into the alliance, not that we have to do much. The simple fact that I'm Poseidon's daughter convinced Apollo to join. And Hermes joined up partially due to that fact. The other part of their reasoning was that they didn't want to be part of Ares' bunch.

We all gather outside the forest at sunset and Chiron goes into a short reminder of the rules and such before the weaponry appears in front of him. I arm myself with a bronze shield that Ms. In actually gave to me yesterday after our lesson. Everyone else arms themselves with what's around them and I spot a few odd items with them. I pull Annabeth aside.

"My strongest position will be at the border, along the creek. I can guard the banner." Annabeth nods slowly.

"Do you still agree with the strategy?" I nod.

"He'll be fine. But only if you make sure he has full access to the creek if they take the bait. While they're distracted, the others can hunt down the flag." We shake hands and Annabeth hands me the banner.

"Agreed." I nod and Annabeth lifts a small round shield above her head. "Blue team, forward!" We all head into the forest and I hang back. I look for a decent spot along the southern bank to place the banner and I select a wider spot on the creek that puts the center as deeper than the rest. It's enclosed on three sides by a rounded…almost a cliff, but not tall enough. Sort of a little cove on the creek. I stick the pole holding up the banner into the ground and pull my bracelet off, bringing out Minerva immediately. The tips crackle with energy and my hands hum on the shaft. I have two weapons. Minerva and a broadsword that Ms. In gave me. She said that it 'washed up in the cove years ago'.

I approach the creek and dip the prongs of my trident into the water. My thought is that if my dad's the sea god, he knows everything that goes on in and around the water. So being his daughter, I should be able to do a similar thing. Sure enough, the water around Minerva stops rippling and becomes clear and reflective as glass. Then, like a TV show, I can see Percy, and everything on and near the creek. I hear a growling sound and look up, across the creek.

A pitch black Doberman is growling at me. His teeth are showing, super long and sharp teeth. I back away from the creek, gripping Minerva in one hand and pulling my sword out with the other. Both weapons crackle with the same energy and for a fleeting moment, I wonder if the sword is from my father as well.

The Doberman leaps across the creek and slowly pads toward me, growling. I try to stand my ground and try to figure out why…oh! The pact that the Big Three made! They all swore on the river Styx not to have any more kids. Maybe this is a hellhound? Most likely.

The dog pounces and I duck away, spinning around to keep an eye on it. It comes at me again and I step into the creek. To buy a few seconds, I start pacing sideways. I'm trying to confuse the dog…but I don't think it works. It pounces and I dodge. Without thinking, I sweep my sword up as I dodge and it cuts the dog clean in half. I lower the blade and stare dumbly at the crumbling creature. It's dissolving the same way that the Fury and the Minotaur did.

I put the weapons away and hurry back to the banner. I hear something and spot one of the girls from Apollo's dorm.

"Percy's fighting Clarisse! And he's getting his butt kicked." I grab the banner and face her.

"Where?"

"Just up the stream." I nod and we head that way. When we get to the fight, I stare at the sparking spear in Clarisse's hands.

"Hold this." I hand the banner to the girl from Apollo and release Minerva. Power sparks and I run into the fray. I push the two that are backing up Clarisse away from Percy and draw my sword. They back away from me, seeing that I have more weapons and I'm standing in the water. I run to Percy and pull him into the water. "Stay in the water, Perce." I back up and go back to the banner. I put the tip of Minerva into the water and I watch around. Nothing…

"You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!" I look up to see Percy hit Clarisse between the eyes with the butt of his sword. Everyone watching the fight screams elatedly and I sigh. I look towards the trees just as Luke comes out with the enemy banner. It shimmers and Ares' symbol is replaced with Hermes' and Clarisse realizes that everything was a trap. I walk over to Percy and look at his arm, ignoring the chatter around us.

"You got cut?" He nods and looks at his arm.

"How…?" I smile slightly and back up to put away my sword and Minerva. "I—I don't get it."

"Perce. Get out of the water." He slowly gets out of the water and almost topples over. Annabeth steadies him and I touch my forehead. "Let him sit down, Wise Girl."

"Oh, Styx. This is _not_ good…I didn't want…I assumed it would be Zeus…" I hear a growl and turn quickly.

"Run!" I draw my sword and hurry to pull Percy up. "Up you go Perce." The Hellhound pounces on us and I swipe my blade up to cut it in half just as a ring of arrows hit it around the neck. I wince and realize that it managed to cut me. I look at Percy and notice that he's cut as well. I sigh and pull him into the water. "You okay?" I back away from Percy and put away my sword. I look up to see a trident above Percy's head. I roll my eyes and smile at my brother. "It's about time he claimed you too, Perce."

"You two are siblings?" I laugh slightly and nod.

"Yea. We're twins. Come on! Let's go get your stuff moved in! I know just which bed you'll want to sleep on!" I look at Chiron and smile. He shrugs and step out of the creek. "Let's go! I have blue cookies in my stash, Perce! Chocolate chip just like Mom makes!" I pull him out of the stream and towards the rest of the camp.

"What was that thing?"

"A Hellhound. I got attacked earlier." We get out of the forest and I steer Percy to the dorms and I spot Ms. In. She waves at us and hurries over.

"I just spoke with Poseidon. Congratulations kids." I smile slightly.

"I was wondering if I'd be stuck alone in three!" Ms. In laughs slightly and looks at Percy.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Perceus. Your sister's told me quite a bit about you." Perce nods slowly and I tug him towards the dorms again.

"See you in the morning, Ms. In!" She waves and we hurry to the dorm.

"So this is where you've been staying." I nod.

"It's really quiet you know. We're like…the only two kids Poseidon's had since World War II."

My dreams aren't pleasant, to say the least. I'm standing in the middle of what could be Hades' throne room. A throne is sitting in the middle of the room, built of bones and dirt. I wonder what sort of people got their bodies ground into Hades' throne.

'_Emily Jackson…'_ I turn to the voice behind me and try to stop myself from staring. This must be Hades. He looks like he could be my dad's brother, but he's got a beard and he's wearing motorcycle leathers.

'_Yes…?'_ He frowns and extends a hand. I back up a bit.

'_I'm assuming that either you or your brother stole it.'_ That confuses me.

'_Stole what?'_ Hades now looks pissed.

'_Don't act stupid, Emily Jackson! You know what I'm talking about!'_ I frown and cross my arms.

'_Actually, for your information, I'm not acting stupid. I have no idea what the heck you're talking about!'_ He pulls his hand back like he's about to hit me. _'I'm sorry if I seem rude, but I don't like being accused of something I didn't do.'_

'_If you didn't steal it. Then find it. You have until the summer solstice.'_ Then I'm suddenly at Montauk again. It's not as stormy as it was before, like something's pushing the storm away from the little beach. I step towards the water and look around. What the heck was that all about?

'_Emily? What are you doing here?'_ I turn and smile at my dad.

'_I'm not sure.'_ Poseidon hugs me lightly and then sits down by the water. I sit down beside him. _'Dad…did someone steal something from Hades?'_

'_What makes you think that?'_ I sigh.

'_It might have just been a nightmare or something…but it was almost like being here.'_ I tell him what just happened before I suddenly was here.

'_Odd…he might have been talking about his Helm of Darkness…but as far as I know that hasn't been stolen. We're already all almost at war because someone stole Zeus' master bolt.'_

'_Master bolt? When did that happen? Around Christmas, right?'_ He nods and I sigh. _'Then that was probably the same time that Hades was robbed. And that would explain partly why he would assume that either me or Perce stole it. But we were both at Yancey at that time.'_

'_True. But you two are easy targets because I've claimed you. Because of the pact, both Zeus and Hades are aggravated.'_ I nod slowly. _'You have to find it. I'll have Ichnaia speak with Chiron to let you go on the quest.'_

'_What if he was talking about the master bolt though? I mean…it might be to his advantage to start a war. If he has that, then he could just take over…right?'_ Dad nods slightly.

'_Yes…that would make sense. If you speak with the Oracle, maybe you'll find out exactly what you need to look for. I need to leave.'_ I nod and Dad leaves.


	6. I Get a Quest and a Weird Experience

**Emily and the Olympians… 5- I Get a Quest and a Weird Experience**

"Trish…I need to talk to your dad." An arrow hits the bulls eye and Trish turns to me.

"Why?" I glance around and sigh.

"Can I explain in private?" She nods and we step away from the archery pit. Once we're out of earshot of almost everyone else, I explain about my conversations with both Hades and my dad. Trish nods slowly throughout the entire explanation. When I finish, she sighs.

"Ms. In and my dad are the two in charge of releasing campers for quests. And Ms. In is almost always at the cove. I'll talk to Chiron and see if Ms. In has talked to him." I nod slightly.

"Then I'll see if Ms. In is at the cove and ask if she's talked to my dad. He said he'd talk to her about this." Trish nods slightly and I head for the cove. Sure enough, I spot Ms. In at the edge of the water with someone. I recognize my dad immediately and duck behind a rock.

"Why don't you go ahead and speak with Chiron. I want to talk to my daughter." I stiffen as Ms. In laughs at that. He must have seen me before I ducked behind the rock. I stand up slowly and smile slightly.

"Sorry…" Ms. In walks towards me, smiling.

"It's not a problem. Poseidon was just explaining to me what you two talked about last night. I'll go talk to Chiron about letting you take on the quest. Be thinking of two companions you'd like to take with you." I nod and she leaves the cove. I approach my dad slowly and he laughs slightly.

"What?"

"When we talk while you sleep, you don't hesitate. But we meet in person and you act like I'm going to hurt you or something." I frown.

"Well. Meeting while I'm asleep is different from meeting in person." I walk over to him and cross my arms. "As often as I'm in this place, you never come out and talk to me."

"I haven't had the time. If I could have, I'd have been here every single time you have." I nod slowly.

"Then what's been taking up your time? I mean…I can understand that…but…" He smiles—that soft smile that I remember from when I was little.

"The whole situation." I nod.

"Meaning the theft and everything. Is it really that bad up there?" He nods.

"Zeus is blaming me for the theft. And he wants the bolt back before the solstice. I had nothing to do with it. So it's chaos." I nod slowly. If it were to come to war…I wonder who would side with whom. He glances at the stormy water and sighs slightly.

"If you need to leave, don't let me stop you. Ms. In is probably already done talking to Chiron by now." Dad nods and turns to the water.

"I'm sure that they'll let you leave. Be careful who you take with you. And always remember that you're never alone." I nod and he leaves, vanishing into the water. I walk to the shoreline and sigh.

"Thanks." I turn and head for the Big House. When I get there, I spot Chiron and Ms. In talking on the porch.

"Ah! There you are! You're just in time. I was about to send Altricia to look for you." I smile slightly. Perfect timing, Dad. "You know the quest, correct?" I nod once.

"Yes sir."

"And you accept it?" I nod again.

"Yes." Chiron nods in return and smiles.

"You may take two comrades with you to assist you. Do you have anyone in mind?" I nod slightly.

"Yes." Ms. In smiles slightly and I hesitate.

"Well?"

"Altricia and Sybil Gray." Ms. In steps off of the porch.

"Then I'll go speak with those two and see if they will be willing to go. I'll leave the rest to you, Chiron." He nods and Ms. In disappears.

"You'll need to speak with the Oracle." I nod slightly and step onto the porch. "In a moment, Argus will take you up to the attic." I nod again and sit down at Dionysus' pinochle table. After a few minutes, Trish and Sybil arrive and I smile at them both. Argus comes around a corner and I get up. "Go ahead. I'll speak with these two and get them up to speed." I nod and walk over to Argus.

He nods once to me and leads me into the house. We go upstairs and to a little corridor with narrow stairs. I go up them alone and into the attic. More than a little creepy.

Mummified parts in jelly jars, dead bugs and old things…it looks like a museum exhibit that hasn't been organized very well. I spot a mummified hippy in a chair and watch it.

"Um…hello?" I jump slightly as a green fog comes out of the mummy and it seems to move its mouth. A very creepy voice moans slightly and I look around.

The green fog surrounds me and then forms into a foggy scene in front of me.

"Emily Jackson…daughter of Poseidon." I swallow nervously.

"What am I supposed to look for?" The mist swells and the scene clears up. The recreation room at Yancey. Nancy Bobofit and three of her goons are sitting at a table.

"You will travel west to face the one who has turned." Nancy looks at me and the Oracle's voice comes out of her mouth. Goon number one looks up and a shiver runs down my spine.

"Trust little of what you have heard. Give thought and reason to each action." Goon number two smirks in my direction.

"For a girl to your side will threaten. The item required will be handed to you." The third goon looks at me and sneers.

"At a cost it will be through. Great perils await you, Emily Jackson." The scene dissipates and the voice moans again. "Choose allies wisely and judge each decision." The mist retracts into the mummy and I sigh. That didn't tell me anything really. I kind of figured I'd be heading west. That's the direction where the entrance to the Underworld always is.

I leave the attic and head back outside. Chiron is gone, but Trish and Sybil are waiting for me.

"Well?"

"We're going west. Obviously."

"Yea. If we're delivering whatever it is that we're looking for to Hades." I nod.

"Anything else important right now?" I shake my head.

"All I know is a bunch of riddling rhyme." The two girls laugh slightly.

"We are going with you." I smile.

"Thank you."

"Chiron said that Argus will take us into Manhattan in an hour. Do we have a plan after that?" I shrug and step off the porch.

"Not yet. But let's get packed up. Trish, don't you stay here?" She nods and heads inside.

"We'll meet back up when?"

"Thirty minutes. That should be enough time for Sybil and me to pack and get back." I look at her and she nods once.

"Alright." Trish disappears into the house and Sybil and I head for the dorms.

"Thanks for picking me to go with you. I would have thought you'd ask Percy."

"Nah. I kind of don't want to involve him right now…I'm not gonna drag my brother into our dad's family issues." We get to the dorms and Sybil goes towards her dorm. "Be quick. We need to get back to the Big House as soon as possible." Sybil nods and disappears into her dorm. I head to three and hurry to my bed. It's still slightly early in the day so I won't be seeing Percy before I leave.

I grab a bag and look up when I hear someone at the door.

"I heard from Ms. In that you and Sybil are going on a quest. Congrats." Maria Dorobo is standing there, holding a blue duffel bag. "We pulled together and got three bags made up. Got everything you three will need for a while. Changes of clothes, toiletries, some cash, a bag of drachmas, and some maps. We wanted to wish you all luck." Maria holds the bag out to me and I walk over.

"Thanks, Maria." I take the bag.

"I already gave the other two bags to Sybil. You three can definitely do it. Whatever it is that you're doing on this quest." I smile and hug her.

"Thanks so much, Maria. And thank the rest of your dorm for me. But I have to get going." I shoulder the bag and hurry to my bunk to grab a few extra things. My sword and some of my own clothes.

"By the way, that bag can hold as much as you need. I got it from my dad." I nod slightly and drop the bag onto my bed. I stuff the clothes and things into the bag and shoulder it again. I hurry out the door and towards the exit of the U of dorms. Sybil is waiting for me, carrying two duffel bags, one is black, and the other is red.

"Ready?" I nod.

"Yea. Let's get going." We head back to the Big House and I spot Trish.

"Well?" She's carrying her chair and her duffel from school. "What's with those bags? If we don't travel light we won't be able to make good time." I nod slightly and Sybil sets the two bags she was carrying on the steps of the porch.

"Some of the guys in eleven packed up some bags for us to take. I've got mine stuffed with essentials and it's light as a feather." I nod.

"Mine as well. Maria said that they could hold as much as we need. Including that chair of yours when you're not using it." Trish nods slowly.

"Do we have a plan then?" She steps off the porch and looks at the red and black bags. "Which one is mine?"

"The black one. Sorry. Red's my favorite color." Sybil smiles slightly and Trish starts to transfer her things into the black duffel.

"We have maps now. Are you armed, Trish?" She nods absently. "We're going west…first we need to find out where the entrance to the Underworld is. From there, we can head that way and see if we can't find whatever it is on the way."

"We have until June twenty-first." I nod slightly.

"Which is the deadline my uncle has laid out for the return of his master bolt. If it's the bolt that we find, then we should just find a way to Mount Olympus."

"That one's easy. The six hundredth floor of the Empire State Building." I nod slowly.

"Okay. And if we're all the way in…say California on the twenty-first? I can't ride in an airplane without risking getting struck down and having tons of people getting hurt!" I sigh. "Anyways. Our plan is to find out where the entrance to the underworld is and head that way. If we're lucky, we'll find whichever thing we're supposed to find and figure out what to do from there. If we run into any monsters on the way, we'll destroy them."

"Sounds like a good plan. Almost worthy of a child of Athena." I turn to Annabeth and laugh slightly.

"That's what I get for hanging out with you, Wise Girl. Keep my seaweed brain brother out of trouble." She laughs and nods.

"No problem. Here." She hands me a Red Sox hat and I frown.

"I don't like baseball."

"Yea, well I don't like the Red Sox. Mom gave it to me at the winter solstice in case I needed it. It should come in handy." It's probably the same as her Yankees cap.

"Same principle?" She nods. "Thanks. See you." She nods and I stick the cap in my bag. On the bright side, no one would see that I was wearing it. I turn to the others. "Argus should be ready…right?" Trish nods and lifts her bag over her shoulder. I wave to Annabeth and we head for the pine tree.

Maria Dorobo, seventeen, daughter of Hermes. Half Japanese. Her last name means 'thief'. One of Mil's few friends in the Hermes dorm. She is also called Hermes' favorite daughter, because she gets a lot of gifts from him regularly.


	7. Smooth Sailing Figuratively

**Emily and the Olympians… 6- Smooth Sailing (Figuratively)**

Argus drives us to the Greyhound station and I pull out a map. It glimmers and a marker appears over Los Angeles. DOA Recording Studios. DOA? Dead on Arrival…that must be the entrance.

"We're going to Hollywood. How much cash do we have?" We all pull out our bags of cash and count out the amount we need. I hear running and look over to see someone running over to us.

"Hey!" A girl with wavy hair wearing a jogging outfit stops beside us and catches her breath. "I'm glad I caught you guys. Which of you is Sybil Gray?" Sybil straightens up and looks at the girl.

"I am."

"Okay. Your dad wanted me to give you this. So that you guys can get what you need." The girl hands Sybil a case and turns to jog off.

"Hey wait." She stops and looks at me. "Who are you?" She smiles slightly.

"I'm Emily Marks, daughter of Hermes. Oh. You're Emily Jackson, right?" I nod. "I almost left without giving you your package." She pulls a package out of her backpack and tosses it to me. I spot the return label and frown slightly. "Well, I've gotta run. Got a lot of deliveries to make! Good luck." She runs off and disappears around the corner.

"Who's it from?"

"The label says 'Sky's the Limit Consulting'. I know where that is. It's a wedding consulting office here in Manhattan." I open the package and pull out a small and heavy bag, a bottle of multi-vitamins, and a jewelry box.

"Those are Hermes' vitamins…" I raise an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"One pill makes you immune to magic for a while. But it's any magic. Meaning your magic cap won't work. What's in the bag and the jewelry box?" I open the bag and pull out three small balls. Trish laughs slightly.

"What? Do you know what these are?" She shakes her head.

"No. But I know who sent them." I nod.

"Hera. She's the goddess of marriage and council thereof. I'm not stupid. I'm just surprised that she'd want to help."

"It's not that surprising. My dad and Hera are two of the many gods that would side with Poseidon in a war. Athena as well. As much as those two don't get along…" I nod.

"I know that as well. Minerva was given to my dad by Athena. Anyways. Any ideas here?" Both girls shrug and I sigh. "Great." I spot an envelope in the box these came in and I open that. "A note." I skim it. It's all in Ancient Greek, but I can understand it.

'_These are to help you and your friends. I do not wish to see a war. Therefore, I wish you the best of luck. I am sure that you can figure out the purpose of all but the spheres. Those can take you anywhere you wish by biting down on it. They can be used as many times as you wish so long as they are not broken. And they will transport up to one extra person so long as you are holding them tightly. The majority of us are supporting you, so again I will say: good luck. –Hera'_

"That's good to know. We can use these to get back or anything." I nod and put the bag of balls into my bag. I open the jewelry box and gasp at the necklace and earrings in it. "Wow…" I nod slowly and pull the necklace out of the box.

"Put it on real quick so we can see what it does." I shake my head.

"What if it makes me look like someone else? I know that the mist might cover it up and let the mortals think they saw someone else, but I don't want to risk it." Trish nods slowly.

"Right. We need to get on the bus and get going." I put the jewelry into my bag and we head to the station window.

"Sorry kids. Unless you're with an adult, you can't buy tickets." We get out of line and I hurry to the bathroom.

"Mil?"

"I'll be right back." I get into the bathroom and pull out the necklace and earrings. "I seriously hope that this does what I think it does." I put the necklace on and then put the earrings in my ears. I look in the mirror and laugh slightly. "Thanks so much, Hera." The woman in the mirror is like an older version of me—maybe about twenty-five. I look good too.

I shoulder my bag again and step out of the bathroom. I head back to the others and they gasp.

"Mil?" I smile.

"We're definitely lucky that you got that package." I laugh and pull the bag of money out of my bag.

"How much do you think three tickets will be?" Sybil opens up the case that she got and gasps at the contents.

"Credit cards…and cash…there has to be at least a thousand dollars in this thing." She pulls out a credit card and scans a note inside the case. "My dad just supplied us with an unlimited amount of cash to use. And there's a credit card with each of our names on it." Sybil hands me a card and I pocket it.

"I'll be right back."

"Make sure you get a bus that's handicap accessible." I nod and head to the window.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" I nod and scan the board of destinations quickly.

"I need three tickets to get to Los Angeles." The woman behind the window nods and types into her computer.

"Okay…there's a bus leaving in two hours with three available seats…"

"Is it handicap accessible? One of the girls I'm taking with me is in a wheelchair." She nods.

"Yes ma'am." She names off the price for the three tickets and I hand her the card. She scans it and prints off three passes. She hands those back to me along with the card and I hurry back to the others.

"The bus is leaving in two hours." Sybil and Trish nod once.

"Our bags are small enough that we can carry them onto the bus." Trish starts for the bathroom, and I sigh. It's going to be a bit difficult with her in her chair.

"I'll go to the bathroom as well." I sit down and wait for them to come out. I fiddle with my bracelet.

When we finally get onto the bus, our trip gets quiet. Sybil and I sit at the back of the bus with Trish and I spot a newspaper on the seat. The front page isn't very pretty. An article marked by a blown up photo of Percy glares at me.

'_SEARCH STILL ON FOR PERCY JACKSON: Percy Jackson suspected of the kidnap and/or murder of mother Sally Jackson is still at large. New York Police are requesting that anyone with information on the boy step forward to aid in the capture of this juvenile delinquent. Gabriel Ugliano, Jackson's stepfather, spoke with the police about the risk to his stepdaughter and Jackson's twin sister, Emily Jackson. The search is underway for the girl in interests of her protection.'_

I toss the paper angrily out the window and cross my arms.

"We need to be on the lookout for monsters. Not knowing what might come after us…" I look at Trish and nod slowly.

"Yea. I'm racking my brain on all of the monsters I might know about." Sybil sighs to herself.

"I kind of wish I could ask my dad for a ride…we'd get there so much faster." Trish and I both laugh at that.

"You know, Mil, you can take those off now." I shake my head.

"No. Unless we actually encounter a monster or something, I'm not taking these off. People saw me get on looking like this and it'll be pretty hard for the Mist to change that." I lean back in the seat. "Wake me up when we hit a pit stop." Both of the girls nod and I close my eyes.

I'm standing in front of the 'Welcome to Vegas' sign. I look around and spot a giant motorcycle coming towards me. I feel like I was waiting for something…and this is it. A big man gets off the bike when he parks and immediately, I have to fight the urge to fight or hit something. This must be Ares…the god of war. I can't see his face really well, because he's so tall.

"Get your nose out of stuff, kid." He tosses me something and gets back on his bike. I catch it and realize that it's a ski cap. Why would I want a ski cap?

"Hey. We're at the pit stop. Thirty minutes." I jerk awake and get up. Sybil and Trish follow me out of the bus and we start walking. We head for a restaurant and go into a McDonalds. After we order and sit down, I look across the street and spot a pet shop. Well…it's a reptile shop.

"Do you guys want to check out that store?"

"I don't do well with reptiles…but sure." Sybil nods as well and we finish eating. We leave the store and cross the street.

"We have fifteen minutes left…it takes five to get to the stop, so we have ten minutes at the most." I think of something. "We have a problem…" I pull out the card I used to pay our bus fare. The name on it reads MIL OCEAN. I breathe a sigh of relief.

"What?" I shake my head.

"I was worried that the name on this card was my real name. The police are looking for me and Percy." Sybil laughs.

"I didn't even notice the last name. Sorry." I shrug.

"No problem. Your dad has a sense of humor. He put 'Ocean' as my last name." Both of them laugh at that and we go into the reptile store. Trish immediately stiffens in her chair.

"Something's not right here…" I nod and touch my bracelet.

"Hello ladies! Welcome to Madam E's Reptile Emporium!"


	8. Notice

**HIATUS/REWRITE NOTICE**

! !

! Rewrite Notice !

Because I have been improving my writing style and I am dissatisfied with the current state of the following stories:

Cherry Blossom's Late Bloom, Dark Blade, Digital Dream, Eagle Spark, Emily and the Olympians (To be retitled 'Raising a Hero'), Lost in Spira (To be retitled 'The Secret Summoner'), Narissa and the Olympians (To be retitled 'Unwilling Hero'), Sword Transcending Time (To be retitled 'Queen Blades'), Tsubasa no Tenshi Angel Wings (To be retitled 'Tenshi no Tsubasa o'), Yuuki's Story

I'm rewriting them from almost scratch. I am also re-playing/reading/watching the series this is based on so as to be more accurate in non-au situations.

! !

! ! !

! ! ! !

! ! ! !

! ! !

! !

! Hiatus Notice !

Because I'm either rewriting the story or it's on my hard drive that is currently out of commission, all of my stories except completed stories and:

Tails of a Copy Cat

Are on hiatus until further notice. I promise that I will have my hard drive fixed as soon as possible so I can get back to work on my older stories.

! !

! ! !

! ! ! !

! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! !

! ! ! !

! ! !

! !

! THIS CHAPTER WILL BE DELETED WHEN I ADD NEW CONTENT !


End file.
